To feel embarrassed about your occupation?

[Poppets14]

I’ve been a medical receptionist for 14 years. I really enjoy my job and consider some people I work with as friends.
It’s super flexible around childcare. I can also do my job blind folded.
The money is crap! Minimum wage.

Ive not got any skills or any qualifications to write home about so it’s not like I can just do something much different. I’m not the bread winner - it’s a part time job that fits in with the school run!

When people ask what I do I suddenly start feeling really embarrassed to tell them. Almost ashamed I’m not a’professional’
Some of my mum friends have been to uni and seem to have super flash jobs and I’m worried people look down on me for having a job so simple.

Anyone else feel embarrassed by their job? AIBU?

I'm a cleaner and have got used to people thinking I'm some sort of failure.. I'm not and neither are you.
Job snobs are awful.

I can totally relate, I run a nursery am very embarrassed by it, and am looking to leave abs do something different soon

Why would anyone look down on your job, it's important.
Mind you people often look down on my job because they have no idea what I do.
Always the question: Why do you need a degree to cut toenails? Gets my hackles up everytime. GAH!!
My NHS trust doesn't do routine foot care, you'll find us doing surgery, steroid injections or removing bone from a necrotic foot so it can heal.

YABU but only because your job is important and valuable. And who judges people by their jobs anyway? No one who is worth knowing.

Please don't be embarrassed. You work, you provide for your children, you contribute to society/the economy, you pay your tax/National Insurance. That's certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. Anybody who works should never be embarrassed. The only people who should be embarrassed are the ones who have never worked a day in their lives and just sponge off the benefits system!

I do get what you mean though. I am a professional dog walker and although I'm proud of what I do, I find myself getting a bit flustered and embarrassed when people go, "Yeah but what's your real job?" as though I'm just walking a couple of dogs for a bit of cash and I don't actually work. A lot of people simply don't understand that I run a business, have staff who work for me, and I spend an inordinate amount of time fretting about insurance, organising appointments, and never taking a day off because I'm self-employed and feel like I can't. It gets a bit insulting when people look at my job like it's a hobby.

Be proud of what you do! You're doing a great job in a role that isn't easy, particularly post-pandemic. x

FWIW, OP, I don't think any of the HCPs in our practice think receptionists have 'no skills'. Handling difficult people, managing dynamic priorities and resources and the ability to get on with work are all key skills that not all professionals have. I'm not saying all of our receptionists have these sufficiently as we have a couple of issues but the vast majority do.

I recall Rockefeller said the ability to deal with people was the most valuable skill, something along the lines of "The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee. And I will pay more for that ability.”

Good luck and keep up the good work.

There is nothing to be ashamed of! The medical profession works as a whole ,Doctors need Nurses ,Nurses need Receptionists and so on .

As a medical receptionist do you "look down" on labourers, shelf stackers, serving staff etc? If not, why would anyone, worth caring about, look down on you?

@Jenster03

I'm a teacher and I feel quite embarrassed about it sometimes. There's a lot of hurtful comments not necessarily aimed at me personally but in the press and overhearing things like 'those who can, do, those who can't, teach'.

Really? I hold teachers in very high esteem, perhaps because I've worked in schools. You've got a really difficult job that few people could do successfully. Never be embarrassed about it.

People who judge you on your job role or enployer aren't worth bothering about op. You just need to learn not to care...you're happy, doing well in life, let others think what they want.

When asked, dh used to tell people he 'worked for KFC' (he did, but his full job title was wordy and sounded pretentious as fuck so he hated saying it). He got sympathetic faces, lots of patronising kindness, even comments along the lines of 'ah, don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to get sonething better one day' (said by the queen-bee mum of dc2's class who was obsessed by jobs and money and delighted when she found out where he worked).

He just used to smile and nod because he was an Area Director on £70k + bonus Luckily he cares less about what people think of him than anyone I've ever known so it didn't bother him at all.

It's taught me you should never assume!

For what it's worth, I did go to uni but have a crap job and the pay isn't great. I hate it when people ask what I do.
But anyone who actually judges me for this isn't someone I want to be friends with.

Never feel embarrassed. Without others doing the jobs that don't have high status, others could not do theirs. I have been a nurse and without cleaners a hospital would close. Now I am a teacher same applies, school would shut. I have total respect for anyone who gets up each day to go and work for minimum wage. Less respect for employers who pay minimum wages.

Yeah, I get what you mean, I don't feel ashamed on my own behalf but sometimes I feel like people think I should be. I'm a career in end and life/dementia care.
Without people like you and people like @Cervicalflop my work would be a lot harder, we often need scripts, meds and/or advice urgently because of the nature of the job and receptionists are crucial in getting us that.

If it's any consolation, I think carers are probably 'beneath' you to people who think that way 😬

It really baffles me the attitudes towards jobs like yours and mine, it's almost like we're resented because people have to rely on us, and if we're appreciated too much, we might get too big for our boots or something.

@Poppets14

Patients are actually really nice most of the time and if they’re not it’s usually for good reason! It’s the nurses and some doctors that make our life so difficult and make us feel a bit worthless. We’ve got one doctor that will not socialise with any of the receptionists as she has told us she only socialises with professionals. She says it’s because our levels of intelligence doesn’t match and she would bore us all!! She wont even have us as friends on Facebook. Makes you feel a bit crap

Just goes to show a good degree doesn't buy manners, doesn't it? I wouldn't want to socialise with someone as stuck up as that! And besides, who is she to judge? A medical receptionist could be sat there with 3 PhDs for all she knows but chooses to work as a receptionist because it suits their lifestyle. What a rude obnoxious cow!

For example, we delivered c1900 'flu vaccs in the last fortnight which I think will save lives, on top of the day job. The deliveries were delayed so some appointments had to be rescheduled. The delivery was short by 10% so we had to re-reschedule by clinical need. Working with the lead nurse, PM, assistant PM and reception manager, who delivered the work that enabled 1900 people to arrive at the right time then helped arrange the home visits in between FOH.

Eh I don’t get this logic , it’s a Job any job is vital or there wouldn’t be a requirement for it .
Even jobs that are non skilled such as a cleaner for example people say anyone can do that maybe but are they any good at it .
If you want to better yourself op fine go for it but you are doing a important job just as important as the doctors and nurses and never ever look down at someone, because someone needs to be a medical receptionist, cleaner , bin man etc . In fact hasn’t this pandemic taught us even more so these jobs are very important.

I had a really good job that required a lot of training. However I found it very stressful and I was exhausted every night both physically and mentally. I started a meeting admin job two weeks ago on the exact same money (NHS) working from home and I felt the stress and tiredness lift straight away. Maybe one day I’ll go back to my professional role on a part time basis but this suits me right now. Point is, when I was doing my professional role I never looked down on those around me. I was grateful for all the support they provided.

There’s a lovely video on YouTube which might put things into perspectives @Poppets14 A reporter goes into NASA and asks the cleaner ‘what do you do’ the cleaner replies ‘I help to put people on the moon’ If you think about that in relation to yourself, you help treat people for cancer because without you answering the phone, people wouldn’t get that initial appointment to see the doctor etc etc. You may be a small cog but you’re an important one 😀

I don't have a degree, or a "career" or a well paid job.

What I do have is a not particularly well part time job I love, working with people I like and get on with and occasionally meet up with socially outside work, and a great boss. I feel supported, respected, appreicated and valued. And I have a great work life balance.

At 63 I am nowhere near ready to retire.

@Poppets14

I’m very happy, me and my husband are fairly comfortable. Home owners, food on the table money for treats and the odd day out and annual uk holiday, petrol in the car.

I work with professionals and always feel the receptionists are bottom of the barrel.
Weirdly nurses seem to be ruder than doctors.

I do Similar role op in medical admin and yes the consultants are usually lovely, some ( not all) nurses are not so. I also can be embarrassed about sharing what I do for living with new acquaintances and got a few put downs during COVID.

Any organisation is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Any role, however low paid, is important

I am a GP and think being a receptionist is the hardest job in the practice! Hold your head up high - you are doing a fantastic job.

Well I would not look down on anyone’s job and have respect for whatever job a person is doing. I have always thought a medical secretary is a very good job role

I get where you’re coming from. I work as an audio typist for the NHS, and sometimes I feel embarrassed for ‘just’ being a typist, and I have heard a few people speak about me and my fellow “band 2” colleagues as if we are beneath them…. But then I tell myself actually it’s a good job, relatively secure and stress free, pays well and fits in well with family life. If you’re earning an honest living and contributing to society you have nothing to b ashamed of.

A childminder. I feel embarrassed about that. I love what I do, and I know most of the parents really appreciate the things I do with the kids and the little extras I do for them like picking up and dropping off sometimes, all the days out we go on (at no extra cost to the parents) but I feel like some people must think I must a bit thick. I also really don't like when the kids parents refer to me as "the childminder" I know that's silly and I'm can't really pin point exactly why that bothers me, but it's just so impersonal.

The role of a medical receptionist is invaluable! I love my reception team - the whole lot of them work SO hard and are always so helpful - and extremely knowledgable about so many issues. We'd sink without them! Be proud OP!